Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a spreader bar shoe mounted on the spreader bar of a paper making machine to smooth the sheet or web of paper prior to it being wound onto the takeup reel at the end of the paper machine. The spreader shoe is in the form of an elongated base of plastic material mounted on the spreader bar with segmental inserts in the outer surface of the base for engagement by the paper sheet with the segmental inserts being secured in a recess by a resilient interface material in the form of silicone to permit limited relative movement between the brittle inserts and the plastic base due to differences in thermal expansion of the dissimilar materials of the brittle ceramic inserts and the plastic base.